WASHINGTON: Three US sources with knowledge of the situation claim that US President Joe Biden made the announcement without first getting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s approval when he publicly unveiled a ceasefire proposal for Gaza that was drafted by the US and Israel and conveyed to Hamas.
Officials claim that the choice to declare unilaterally was intentional and reduced the space for Israel or Hamas to withdraw from the agreement. This is an uncommon move for the US to make with a close partner. A senior US official stated, “We didn’t ask permission to announce the proposal.”
“We told the Israelis that we would be giving a speech regarding the state of affairs in Gaza. We didn’t get too specific about what it was.
As part of a ceasefire agreement, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh stated on Wednesday that his organization would demand an end to the fighting in Gaza and an Israeli evacuation, seemingly dealing a blow to the Biden plan.
According to Jeremi Suri, an assistant professor of history and public affairs at the University of Texas at Austin, Biden’s statement and his presentation of the plan as a compromise that “Israel has offered” were meant to incite optimism for a ceasefire and exert pressure on Netanyahu.
According to Suri, Biden is attempting to pressure Netanyahu into approving the plan.
